good morning. breaking news. two young girls kidnapped in tennessee found safe and alive in mississippi. after a dramatic end to a nearly two-week manhunt. this after the man accused of abducting them and murdering their mother and older sister killed himself during a dramatic standoff with police. this morning, his mother-in-law speaks out in an exclusive live interview. prep school bully? mitt romney responds to a report that as a teenager he led a bullying incident of a classmate who later came out as gay. he says he doesn't recall it. but is sorry anyone was hurt. could an incident that happened nearly 50 years ago impact the presidential race? and cover controversy. "time" magazine caused a stir with this image of a young mom

breast-feeding her nearly 4-year-old son. does it go too far? the woman in this photograph joins us live "today," friday, the woman in this photograph joins us live "today," friday, may 11th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this friday morning, i'm ann curry. >> good morning, everyone, i'm savannah guthrie in for matt this morning. those two tennessee sisters are being checked out at a hospital this morning. but appear to be physically unharmed after think were safely recovered last night. >> that's right. it all started with a tip about a possible sighting of the girl's alleged kidnapper, adam mayes, near a church in northern mississippi. when authorities arrived they say mayes refused to surrender, pulled out a gun and then shot himself in the head. the girls were found lying on the ground nearby. we're going to go right to this story to nbc's thanh truong who

is in alpine, mississippi. thanh, good morning, what can you tell us? >> ann, good morning to you. this ordeal started exactly two weeks ago when authorities say adam mayes kidnapped a mother and her three daughters. the search quickly turned into a nationwide manhunt. but in the end, the law managed to track mayes down through these back woods just miles from his home. responding to a phone tip, a search team swept the woods hynde zion hill baptist church late thursday. around 6:30 p.m. the game warden spotted adam mayes and the two kidnapped sisters. that's when mayes pulled out a gun. >> mr. mayes was given repeated warnings to show his hands. he did not. and he then shot himself in the head. >> reporter: 12-year-old alexandria bain and 8-year-old kyliyah, were dehydrated but unharmed and quickly rushed away to a memphis hospital as a precaution. a sheriff who first saw them

said he told them it was going to be okay and gave them a big hug. >> we are very relieved at this event here tonight. we have two little girls that we can return to tennessee to their families. >> reporter: the girls are the sole survivors of a twisted ordeal. two weeks ago investigators say mayes killed their mother jo ann, and her eldest daughter, 14-year-old adrienne. at the bain's home in rural tennessee. according to court documents, mayes' wife teresa then helped kidnap the two surviving sisters and took them, along with their dead mother and sister, to mayes' home in mississippi. last weekend authorities discovered the victims' bod i goes in a shallow drive up behind mayes' house. >> we can't forget about jo ann and adrienne who did not deserve to die the way they did. and we're going to see that justice is served for them. >> reporter: the fbi policed mayes on its top ten most wanted list and launched a nationwide search for the missing sisters.

by thursday, with mayes dead, this wanted poster was updated. authorities say they suspect he'd been hiding near the church for a few days. friends and family of mayes say he long claimed he was the biological father of the two girls, and was constantly visiting them. >> i think he really wanted those kids to live with him. >> reporter: mayes' motive may never be uncovered, but the apparent objects of his affection, and perhaps obsession, are today free once again. mayes' wife teresa is in jail charged with two counts of kidnapping and murder for her alleged involvement in mayes' mother mary is also in jail, charged with kidnapping. while many in this community are saying they're relieved because they found the -- the wildlife and fisheries department finally found mayes. but also saying they feel like they're prayers are answered now that those girls are found alive. ann? >> i'll take that, thanh. thank you so much. josie tate is teresa mays' mother and adam mayes'

mother-in-law. she's with us exclusively this morning. josie, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> my first question is just your reaction when you found out how this all ended last night. >> my first reaction was thank god that the little girls were safe, and alive, and well. and then my second reaction was panic, scared for my daughter, who was manipulated and brainwashed and coerce d and physically abused over the last 11 years by adam. >> i know your daughter, of course, is charged in with connection with this crime. you just mentioned what you feel adam mayes' responsibility is for that. can you tell us a little bit more about how that relationship went on? what your relationship with your

daughter was when she married adam mayes? >> when she married adam, he made her cut off all ties with all of her family. adam would not even allow teresa to attend her father's funeral. adam was a control freak. even at the age of 10 years old, adam controlled his mom and dad, you know. it was like he ruled the roost. >> josie, one of the big questions here, of course, is why? why he would have killed jo ann bain and her older daughter and abducted the two little girls. do you have anything to shed light on that question? >> there's many reasons that's run through my mind.

but i think really that maybe he done it to have possession of the two children, that he claimed were his biological children. >> do you believe that? >> do i believe that they were his children? >> yes. >> no. they were not his children. >> what do you think will happen to your daughter now? as you mentioned, she's been charged with first degree murder in this case. >> i honestly don't know. >> is it difficult for you to know that, according to police, she was involved, that she drove these women back down to mississippi, and that even after the bodies were buried in the backyard, she failed to call police? >> yes, that is difficult to accept. but at the same time, i know that she was scared of adam.

i know that she was coerced, and manipulated, and forced to do the things that she did. >> josie tate i know these are difficult times for you. we appreciate your perspective this morning. thank you for being with us. >> you're welcome. >> it is now 7:08. here's ann. >> all right, savannah, thank you. now to presidential politics, and an alleged bullying incident from mitt romney's high school days. that is making headlines now nearly 50 years later. he addressed the issue on thursday. nbc's peter alexander in washington with more on this story. peter, good morning. >> ann, good morning to you. if it wasn't already sufficiently clear that nothing is off limits in politics, here's your latest example. this alleged bullying incident first reported by the "washington post" cites five of romney's prep school classmates, one describing what happened as an assault. last night the romney campaign pushed back, putting out statements from some of romney's high school friends, calling the characterization of him as a bully absurd, saying romney

never had a malicious bone in his body. >> give me your vote on tuesday, give me your vote in november, we're taking back the white house. >> reporter: while mitt romney tried to focus on the fall of 2012, he's been forced to respond to claims of bullying dating back to the spring of '65. nearly 50 years ago. when he was a high school senior here at the exclusive cranbrook school near detroit. several of romney's former class mates told "the washington post" about what one of them described as a vicious incident where romney allegedly led a group of friends to confront another student, who "the post" reports was believed to be gay. and didn't fit in with his bleach-blond hair covering one eye. the article says romney and his friends, one of them the school's wrestling champion, tackled the boy and pinned him to the ground. and then as the boy began to cry, screaming for help, romney repeatedly clipped his hair with a pair of scissors. one of romney's classmates, philip maxwell, confirms the story to nbc news.

though the bullies grew into a group of distinguished men and we look back at it now and it's a black mark on our own character. on thursday romney quickly addressed the claims on fox news. and denied bullying anyone for being gay. >> i had no idea what that individual's sexual orientation might be, going back to the 1960s, that wasn't something that we all discussed or considered. so that -- that simply is just not accurate. i don't recall the incident myself, but i've seen the reports, and not going to argue with that. there's no question but that i did some stupid things when i was in high school. and obviously, if i hurt anyone by virtue of that, i would be very sorry for it and apologize for it. >> reporter: the controversy has raised another question. is a presidential candidate's behavior in high school relevant today? like most everything else in politics, it depends who you ask. one democratic operative tweeted mitt romney was intolerant in 1965, assaulting a presumed homosexual with scissors, and

he's intolerant today, opposing civil unions and same-sex marriage. but a prominent conservative commentator dismissed its significance, tweeting, in light of "the post's" story, i just don't think i can bring myself to vote for the 17-year-old mitt romney for president. and nbc news isn't naming the student who was allegedly bullied but, in fact, he died several years ago. late last night, his sister told nbc news that his portrayal in "the washington post" story is factually incorrect and said the family is upset, ann, that he's being used, in her words, to further a political agenda. >> peter, on that point, can you shed any light about the timing of this? i mean, having this allegation against mitt romney come so soon after the president made his announcement about gay marriage. >> yeah, a lot of people view the timing as either questionable or suspicious. of course, the reporting came out just one day after the president said he supported same-sex marriage. mitt romney has said he opposes same-sex marriage, referring to it as a tender and sensitive

topic. nonetheless, a lot of people are asking questions about the exact timing of this. "the post" insists this is reporting they've been working on for awhile. >> all right. peter alexander, thanks so much for your reporting this morning. it is now 7:11. here's savannah. >> all right, ann, thanks. president obama's re-election campaign received a financial boost last night as some of hollywood's biggest names turned out for a fund-raiser hosted by oscar winner george clooney. nbc's white house correspondent kristen welker is in los angeles with that story this morning. kristen, good morning. >> good morning to you, savannah. well, that clooney event raised nearly $15 million. that's a new record. now it's important to point out, it was scheduled well before the president's announcement about same-sex marriage, but that announcement certainly added to the buzz. in the wake of the same-sex marriage endorsement, president obama arrived in los angeles to cash in on the financial might of hollywood. >> mr. george clooney. >> reporter: george clooney, who has been a familiar face at the white house lately, hosted a

record-breaking fund-raiser, at his posh los angeles mansion. tinseltown's a-list turned out. including barbra streisand, robert downey jr., billy crystal, and selma hayek. in addressing the crowd of 150 wealthy donors, the president said, 2008 in some ways was lightning in a bottle. that's not going to be replicated, and that means we're going to have to work harder. he also acknowledged that he had made some news by announcing his support for same-sex marriage. it was a logical extension of what america is supposed to be. he said to applause. hollywood insiders say new donors are getting on board after this week's announcement. >> norman lear had been reluctant to actually write a check for the campaign. he reversed that position and talked to other donors who are encouraging their friends to go out and support -- go online and support the campaign. >> reporter: the president's re-election team also tried to capitalize on the same-sex marriage issue, by releasing this ad attacking mitt romney.

>> my view which is i do not favor marriage between people of the same gender, and i don't favor civil unions. >> reporter: and the democratic national committee says its phones have been steadily ringing. erica paine is a former deputy national finance director for the dnc. >> i think generally speaking, the progressives have really been looking for some fire from this president, and so i think you'll see across the board that people really step up. >> reporter: but it cuts both ways. and now, social conservatives are re-energized in their support for mitt romney. >> we're taking back the white house, and taking back america. >> reporter: romney also raked in big cash thursday, during campaign events in omaha, and kansas. and later, he tried to pivot back to the economy. the issue he sees as his trump card. >> it's the economy which is the focus of what they're talking about. and obviously the president doesn't want to talk about that.

>> now, senior administration official confirms that vice president biden apologized to president obama this week for those comments that he made on "meet the press" this past sunday, which he endorsed same-sex marriage before the president did, and essentially jumped the gun on the issue. 106 savannah? >> all right, kristen welker in los angeles, thank you. let's head over and get the rest of the morning's top stories from natalie morales who is looking very springy. >> thank you, ann. good morning, everyone. we begin with jpmorgan chase, the largest bank in the u.s., acknowledging today that it lost $2 billion in trading over the past month and a half. cnbc's steve sedgwick is in london with more. good morning. >> very good morning to you. we're here in london outside the headquarters of jpmorgan, the u.s. investment bank really feeling the heat now. it was supposed to be a hedge position but now it's looking like a loss of at least $2 billion. the thing is this is an open position. the real question marks about the size of the ultimate loss won't happen at the risk management of this group and will the banks now feel more

political heat on the back of concerns about circumventing rules, trying to stop them having these kind of positions? a lot of questions remain both here in london and indeed in new york, as well. >> all right. steve sedgwick in london for us. thank you, steve. a major breakthrough in the fight against hiv as an fda panel backs the first-ever drug shown to prevent hiv infection in healthy people. the advisory panel recommended the pill for people at high risk of contracting the virus that leads to aids. a third suspect in the murder of maureen wife brittany kilgore is now in police custody in san diego. police say the arrest was made as a result of new information in the ongoing investigation. kilgore was found dead back in april. two others have already been arrested and charged in connection with her murder. both are pleading not guilty. and sometimes the perfect prom picture isn't the most memorable. call it peer pressure. but this dock just couldn't take the weight of all these dolled up wisconsin high schoolers and then, as you see, it gave way.

one student say the girls were screaming, the boys were laughing. shame on them. no one was injured and with the help of a lot of blow driers and towels they all made it to their big night. i'm sure there they made a big splash. >> oh! >> let's hope -- >> good morning. >> time for all that fussing. >> they're never going to forget it. that's for darn sure. >> they probably were late, though. >> it's a great before and after, right? >> oh, my lord. that's not funny. >> i know. >> anyway. >> thank goodness nobody got hurt. >> nobody got hurt. >> except for the hairdo. the hairdo got a little hurt probably. >> as we can take a look what's going on weatherwise down south we're seeing a lot of wet weather. heavy rain down through the gulf, where you had tornado warnings earlier this morning. heavy rain into the mid-mississippi river valley. out west, plenty of sunshine. showers in northern new england. >> good morning.

pleasant weather arriving just in time for the end of the workweek. a cool breeze out of the northwest. >> and that's your latest weather. ann? >> all right, al, thank you so much. defense gets its turn today at the criminal trial of former presidential candidate john edwards. this after the prosecution rested its case on thursday, after 14 days of dramatic testimony. nbc's lisa myers is covering this trial and joins us once again from greensboro, north carolina. lisa, good morning. >> hey, ann, good morning. as you said, now it's john edwards' turn to tell his side of the story. but first his lawyers will try to convince the judge today that the government's evidence is so weak the case should just be

thrown out of court. after two dozen witnesses over three weeks, prosecutors concluded their case by portraying john edwards as a serial liar with grandiose ambitions. and the hubris to try to become barack obama's running mate, even as his pregnant mistress was being spirited around the country to keep her out of sight. former edwards adviser said the day obama won the iowa caucuses in 2008, edwards had him reapproach the obama campaign about making edwards obama's running mate. hen drytestified he later tried to parlay his endorsement into a job as attorney general. and even as the scandal threatened to engulf him, hendry said edwards used an elaborate long-term goal, which was to be a supreme court justice. >> unfortunately for him, he comes across as not only a guy who's out of touch with reality, but also engaged in a very complex manipulation.

>> reporter: this placed the prosecutors in a 2008 interview in which edwards came clean about his affair but denied any knowledge about money used to cover it up. and denied he fathered hunter's child. >> i know that it's not possible that this child could be mine, because of the timing of events. >> reporter: edwards stared at the video intensely, and sometimes closed his eyes with a painful expression. analysts say prosecutors have succeeded in painting edwards as a habitual liar who destroyed his family, and betrayed his dying wife in the course of a reckless affair. and they say there is evidence that edwards probably knew something about at least some of the money used to hide rielle hunter. but many argue prosecutors still have not proven their case. that edwards knowingly committed a crime. >> they made progress but there's still a big hole. no evidence of john edwards' criminal intent. the government has not shown that edwards thought he was breaking the law. >> i think the government

crosses the finish line in this case in a very tattered condition. its star witness didn't do well. they tried to bring in other witnesses to make andrew young more sympathetic, and i don't think it worked. >> the defense will try to get jurors to put aside how they feel about edwards' deplorable conduct and focus on the law. his lawyers argue that even if everything the government alleges is true, and they say it's not, that still doesn't add up to a crime, ann. >> all right, lisa myers, thank you so much for your reporting this morning on this. well, just ahead we're going to turn to the fight over that million dollar lottery ticket claimed by a woman who found it in the trash. well a judge says the money should go to the woman who originally bought it. we're going to talk to her exclusively. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

still ahead the raging debate over this "time" magazine cover.

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and, frontline plus works non-stop for thirty days. no wonder it's the number one choice of vets for their pets and yours. ask your vet about frontline plus. accept nothing less. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. the man who shot and killed a maryland state trooper will spend the rest of his life behind bars. cyril williams was sentenced to life without parole plus 1 years for the murder of wesley brown. brown working as aat officer applebee's.

traffic pulse 11 and sarah caldwell standing by. >> and big area roads, avoid this accident. tracking delays from liberty to edmondson. from there is so, watch for these delays not go accident in the city. still clearing at coldspring and wabash ave. 32 and glenn now, we have a fuel spill. -- glenelg we have a fuel spill. on the beltway, i have here. dealing with delays, but not as bad as we normally see at this hour. ava, over to you. >> we are going to coast into the weekend at the weather department. cool conditions right now, but the sunshine is out. 54 downtown, 40's in the western suburbs. chilly start, much better

towards the afternoon. we will be pushing into the upper 60s and low 70's. cool breeze out of the northwest. 10 to 15 into the afternoon. we will have sunshine for day one of the weekend. 77 tomorrow. a few clouds towards the afternoon. but this they should be mostly dry. late in the day, -- mother's day should be mostly dry.

7:30 now on this friday morning, may 11th, 2012. you're looking at the new "time" magazine cover that's getting a lot of attention. it shows a 26-year-old mom breast-feeding her nearly 4-year-old toddler. and coming up we're going to actually meet the woman featured in that cover photo and also talk about the controversy that this has sparked. and there's her son, also, on her lap. i'm ann curry alongside savannah guthrie who is in for matt this morning. welcome. >> good morning to everybody. also ahead the former nfl cheerleader and high school teacher accused of having sex with a teenage boy is back in the news today. did a gossip website ruin her reputation? we're going to have more on that. and then later, an early mother's day present for a really remarkable mom. she lost parts of her legs

shielding her children from a tornado in that massive outbreak in march. she's here along with her family for an exclusive live interview. >> we're all pretty excited to get to meet this family. she's such a courageous woman. though we want to start this half hour with this battle over a winning million dollar lottery ticket tossed out by one woman, and cashed in by another. a judge says the woman who originally bought that ticket should receive the winnings. we're going to talk to her exclusively in just a moment. but first this report from nbc's janet shamlian. >> reporter: ann, good morning. yes, the million dollar question. a lottery ticket that turned out to be a big winner was cashed in by a woman who says she found it in the trash. well, now we're hearing from the buyer of that ticket and she says the money belongs to her. sharon duncan says the fight over a winning million dollar lottery prize was never a case of finders keepers. because she didn't throw it away. >> if i'd have known that was a billion dollar ticket no way i would have thrown that in that

ticket bin. not give it away like that. that is crazy. >> reporter: this is surveillance video provided to "today" by duncan's attorney which he says shows sharon scanning the ticket in the lottery's bar code reader which verifies whether it is or isn't a winner. so you're certain you scanned the ticket that day. >> i'm certain. i scanned each one three times. and i watched the ask scanner and it said sorry, not a winner. >> reporter: the arkansas lottery commission says the machine was working properly. sharon says she then tossed the ticket not into the garbage but in a bin that becomes the property of store manager, who enters the ticket for secondary prizes. >> so you don't call this a trash? >> no, it's a ticket bin. we've got a trash at this door. we've got a trash at the other door. >> reporter: duncan and the for's owner together filed suit for the winnings. a judge last week decided sharon duncan is entitled to the million dollars. the woman who originally claimed the prize, sharon jones, admits taking tickets from that bin. but says no one stopped her, and there was no sign.

>> i just didn't think justice was done. because, i mean, trash is trash. i couldn't believe that he went that way. >> reporter: she collected the money. $1 million, $68,000 after taxes. now pending an appeal she'll have to give it up. >> i think that you have to look at the facts of the case, and the -- and that's what the judge did in this case. >> reporter: underwood says he proposed dividing the money between the parties. but no settlement could be reached. if you put something in the trash, you feel like it's still yours? >> yes. when the scanner says sorry not a winner and then come to find out that it was, i think it's mine. >> reporter: a game of chance becomes a fight for a fortune. as two sides battle over a jackpot. the woman who cashed that ticket in, sharon jones, says she's already spent about $200,000 of the money. her attorney says they're

planning to appeal. ann, back to you. >> all right, janet shamlian, thank you so much. well, sharon duncan is joining us now exclusively along with the manager of that convenience store lisa petriches and their attorney steve underwood. sharon, what was your reaction when you heard from lisa that you had tossed away a million dollar lottery ticket. >> i almost had a heart attack right then when she told me. >> how is it possible -- >> i was really upset. >> but when you think back on it, how is it possible, if, as we've just heard, the lottery commission is saying the machine was working, how is it possible that that happened? >> i have no idea. but i went up there and scanned it and id said, sorry, not a winner. so i discard it. i trust the machine. so, i discard the ticket. >> did you fail to scratch it off fully. >> it was all scratched off. >> it was all scratched off? >> the way i seen when i looked

at it, it was all scratched off. >> so when you put the ticket in the machine you're saying once or twice you're saying it read, not a winning ticket? >> i put the ticket in twice, and i scanned it, and it says sorry not a winner. i've always scanned my tickets, two or three times and it says sorry, not a winner. >> lisa, why did you tell sharon when you knew about all of this, when you knew that someone else was already claiming the winning ticket, and claiming the winnings? >> because it was her ticket, and i thought -- >> you felt that. i wonder if you feel bad for the woman who actually thought she had won? she said she went into the bin, and that she pulled out a ticket, and she suddenly she thought she was the winner. do you feel bad for her at all? what do you have to say about what she did? >> i don't feel bad for her. no. >> but when you tossed away this ticket, you said, lisa, this is yours, now. you walked away from it.

>> yes, but i thought it was -- said sorry not a winner ticket. you know. that would have said winner, i would have kept my ticket. but it said sorry not a winner. and on the ticket bin, she shouldn't have been in there no ways because it said do not take. >> so it wasn't really a trash can, it was a bin where you put tickets that were had been scanned that were that were considered to be not winning tickets. is that right? >> it was like a 13 gallon trash can that we had put right where the lottery is, we had designated area and it was underneath right where the lottery was. >> since you said this is for you, lisa, do you think lisa, deserves some of this money if you ever get it? >> no. it's my money. i think i deserve it. >> let me ask you this question, the woman, sharon jones, who did cash in that ticket, she has

said on our air that she doesn't have work, that her husband doesn't have work, that she's struggling, that she cannot repay this $190,000 that she's already spent. do you have any sympathy for her? would you, under any circumstances, would you consider not forcing her to pay back that money? >> no. >> why not? >> because it's my money. i deserve the money. not her. >> this is now going to be appealed, and you can't get your money until it goes through court. >> till it goes through court. yeah. >> all right. well you've said your piece. thank you for joining us both of you. >> thanks. >> attorney, thank you for being here. >> thank you. >> and now we want to get a check of the weather from al. >> "today's weather" is brought to you by kay jewelers. every kiss begins with kay. >> and thank you so much. nice group of folks. beautiful weather here in new york. what do you have for your

forecast today? we'll show you for "today" we're looking at some strong storms down in southern texas. they had tornado warnings earlier. the heaviest stuff now moving offshore. but it's going to continue raining. rainfall amounts, we're talking right offshore, up to eight inches of rain but closer in, dallas, wichita falls, two to three inches of rain as well. rest of the country, heavy rain through the lower mississippi river valley. a few showers left over in northern new england. windy conditions, northern california. plenty of sunshine through the plains. with temperatures in the mid 70s today in chicago 76 degrees. >> good morning. a chilly start to the day. we have full sunshine. low to mid 70's from central maryland to southern maryl

>> and that's your latest weather. >> -- competition in the weather department. someone is encroaching on your work. >> i know. >> take a look. >> as we head toward the end of the week, this afternoon it will be cold, wet and windy across most of scotland. we're under the influence of low pressure, and this weather front pushing northward is bringing cloud and now breaks of rain. >> yes, that is prince charles on bbc scotland. actually his wife camilla also got into the action a little bit. >> he did a magnificent job. >> he did. >> he did it really well. >> he got it all down. and he's very smart. he defers to his wife. >> yes. >> you know, there is one piece of meteorological equipment that she didn't have. i think we can show it. i think it really would have completed the picture. >> let's see.

>> if only he had -- >> ah, of course. >> there you go. >> and actually a plaid jacket. >> we had prince harry on our plaza doing the weather recently as well. >> do you remember? >> i don't remember. >> it was around halloween last year. >> oh, that's right. oh, my gosh. we're certainly milking this. let me crown you. >> pretty soon we're going to have to start calling you his royal highness. >> we don't need a lot of excuses. >> all my loyal subjects. >> whoo! >> oh, my. >> very nice. >> all right. >> i have noticed prince albert, but i'm not in a can. >> that was a lot of fun. >> you wouldn't give him any tips or anything like that. >> no, i think he did great. >> -- bigger words. >> off with his head! >> all right. we've got a lot more coming up this morning. - it's the moment when forever begins. kay jewelers presents the ring

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well, it's not gonna clean itself. want me to get dad? no thank you. viva's all i need. look at that! still in one piece. yeah, so's the towel. [ female announcer ] grab a roll and try it on your toughest mess. whose non-stop day starts with back pain... and a choice.

take advil now and maybe up to four in a day. or choose aleve and two pills for a day free of pain. way to go, coach. ♪ back now at 7:43 with a small victory for the former pro football cheerleader and high school teacher accused of having sex with an underage student. well, a court ruling will allow her to proceed with a defamation lawsuit against an online gossip website. nbc's kevin tibbles is in

chicago with details on this story. kevin, good morning to you. >> savannah, cincinnati bengals cheerleader sarah jones is back in the news again this morning. this time over a lawsuit she has filed against the website thedirty.com, claiming that it ruined her reputation. this is sarah jones, in her role as a cincinnati ben gal cheerleader and recently visiting troops in iraq with her squad. but back in 2009, someone posted salacious sexual messages about her on the online gossip site thedirty.com, suggesting she was having sex with bengals football players and had sexually transmitted diseases. she appeared on local radio defending herself. >> -- public information i had students starting to ask me and teachers and you know, just humiliating. >> reporter: then last year, jones who was a teacher, was charged with first degree sexual assault for allegedly having sex with a teenage male student. that case remains before the

court. but two courts have now ruled that jones' lawsuit for defamation against thedirty.com, can proceed. despite laws protecting internet sites from being sued over postings by third parties. >> i think it sends the message that when thedirty.com defends somebody, or any defendant, when thedirty.com defends somebody like they did to sarah, that they should be held to answer to that before a jury. >> reporter: lawyers for thedirty.com sought to have jones' defamation lawsuit thrown out and they say if jones' reputation was ever damaged, it was of her own doing. >> you can't sue someone for damaging your reputation when you've destroyed it yourself. >> reporter: legal experts say that while jones' defamation case may move forward it may prove difficult for her. >> you can't, on one hand say that you have a pristine reputation, and on the other hand, you have first degree sexual assault charges.

>> the defamation case is likely to be heard later this year. bheen meanwhile, jones, who is no longer a teacher, is set to stand trial on the sexual abuse charges sometime next month. savannah? >> all right. kevin tibbles in chicago. thank you. coming up next, the business and fashion faux pas? why mark zuckerberg is being tras chased for what he wore to a meeting on wall street. then we'll make it a mother's day to remember for the indiana mom who lost her legs shielding her kwhirn from a tornado. we'll talk to her live. ♪ ♪ -wee! -woo hoo. [ kids ] pop-tarts, please! [ laughter ] ♪ [ female announcer ] when you give your kids frosted strawberry pop-tarts baked with real fruit, they'll rise and you'll shine. pop-tarts. made for fun.

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hi, i just switched jobs, and i want to roll over my old 401(k) into a fidelity ira. man: okay, no problem. it's easy to get started; i can help you with the paperwork. um...this green line just appeared on my floor. yeah, that's fidelity helping you reach your financial goals. could you hold on a second? it's your money. roll over your old 401(k) into a fidelity ira and take control of your personal economy. this is going to be helpful. call or come in today. fidelity investments. turn here. facebook founder mark zuckerberg came to new york to meet with investors this week wearing his trade mark hoodie. a fashion choice that had some people on wall street crying foul. nbc's mara schiavocampo has more now. hey, mara, good morning. >> hey, ann, good morning. facebook's ipo next week is the most highly anticipated stock market event in decades. so wouldn't you expect the company's ceo to dress like a top ceo? well, not mark zuckerberg.

facebook's ceo mark zuckerberg arrived at high powered investor meetings on wall street this week looking more like he was going running than running a company. wearing jeans and his trade mark hoodie. quickly dubbed hoodiegate the fashion faux pas generated headlines and numerous jokes on twitter, with the hoodie proclaiming itself 1% billionaire, 99% cotton. in the movie "the social network" zuckerberg is often depicted as dismissive of his more traditional elders. >> mr. zuckerberg, do i have your full attention? >> no. >> reporter: some analysts say acting that way in real life could cost him. >> he sends a signal that he doesn't care. that he's entitled to do that. he really is. i just think that that will alienate some potential investors who worry, is this guy ever going to monetize, you know, facebook's 900 million users. >> reporter: though he's worth

an estimated $16 billion, 27-year-old zuckerberg is known for dressing down. in the early days of facebook, he famously went to a meeting with venture capitalists wearing pajamas. a scene recreated in "the social met kwoerk wths. while the president did get him to dress up a little. >> my name is barack obama and i'm the guy who got mark to wear a jacket and tie. >> reporter: even the power of the white house couldn't get him out of those blue jeans. much like apple's ceo steve jobs' iconic black turtleneck. >> thanks for coming today. >> we're building toward the web. >> reporter: zuckerberg's hoodie is quickly becoming part of his brand. >> facebook is going to be in a large part about him. he's going to be in the media. he's going to be all over the newspapers. so he wants to create a persona and he wants that persona to be in live with what facebook's values are. >> reporter: though zuckerberg resists removing his outer wear -- >> no, i never take off the hoodie. >> i know you don't. >> reporter: sometimes it's unavoidable. in this interview posted on

youtube, he finally relents after minutes of sweating profusely. >> maybe i should take off the hoodie. it's a company hoodie. we print our mission on the inside. making the world more connected. >> reporter: turns out there's more to it than meets the eye. now, all joking aside, zuckerberg does have a lot more voting power in facebook than the average ceo. so analysts say investors need to have confidence in him personally, and that could, in fact, be influenced by what he wears. ann? >> all right, mara schiavocampo, thank you so much. i don't know. i kind of like the hoodie myself. i mean, it's his trade mark. >> it is. it's pardon of his brand. >> exactly. meantime we're going to be talking about "time" magazine and the cover that some say goes too far. ka te?

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> folks are getting on the road a little bit later this morning. we are down to 22 miles per hour on the west side. defense highway, watch for an accident. 18 minutes on the outer loop northeast side. same thing on the west side. six-minute travel time on the split to the fort mchenry. 41st street, going away from us,

southbound traffic is heavy. here is what looks like at harford road. delays in place from harford towards dulaney valley. >> chilly start of the day. the least we bump into the 50s. 57 downtown. still in the 40's and westminster. much of the east coast is enjoying the sunny weather. a new store will move in early next week. today's forecast, sunny skies, " breeze out of the northwest. high temperatures in the upper 60s and low 70's. mostly clear tonight. 77 tomorrow for day one of the weekend. maybe a few thin clouds by the afternoon. much of saturday is sunny. sunday from this day, a few more clouds and rain chances later in the day. isolated showers are possible.

70's for the entire week. no major cold snap or t way. -- or

jermaine -- >> 8:00 now on a friday morning. the 11th day of may, 2012. and that was the emotional moment when germainjur jermaine proclaimed the winner of "the voice." coming up he's going to be performing live in our studio. i'm ann curry alongside savannah guthrie and al roker. and also coming up, we're going to be talking about this controversy that has everybody talking. it's the cover of "time" magazine. >> that's right. the woman who is featured on the cover breast-feeding her almost 4-year-old son is here live in our studio. she'll talk to us about this

article which is about attachment parenting. this foet hoe has already generated a huge response on our website so we're going to talk to the mom and her little boy, too. if he sticks around. >> he's moved on right now. >> out of here. >> speaking of mother's day, coming up on sunday we're going to catch up with a woman who really epitomizes what it is to be a mother, the sacrifices that a mother is willing to make. stephanie decker, the indiana mom who lost part of her legs earlier this year when she used her own body to shield her children from a tornado, we are going to be speaking with her and her family exclusively live coming up in the next half hour. >> she really is an example of the power of a mother's love and inspiration for all moms. meantime let's get the rest of the top stories from natalie. who's at the news desk. >> good morning, once again. good morning, everyone. two sisters kidnapped last month in tennessee have been released from the hospital following their dramatic rescue. a search team tracked the girls and accused kidnapper adam mayes to the woods behind a mississippi church last night.

police say mayes refused to drop his gun, then shot and killed himself. 12-year-old alexandria bain and 8-year-old sister kyliyah were dehydrated but unharmed. friends say mayes believed he was the girl's biological father. mayes is also suspected of murdering the girl's mother and older sister, whose bodies were found last weekend. president obama will focus on the economy today, when he campaigns in nevada. last night during a fund-raiser at actor george clooney's home the president said his newly declared support for same-sex marriage is a logical extension of where he thinks america is supposed to be. republican mitt romney campaigns today in north carolina, where voters this week approved a ban on same-sex marriage. romney is playing down a thursday newspaper report that he once bullied a prep school classmate us is petted of being gay. and the family of the alleged victim has released a statement saying the way he was portrayed is factually incorrect, and quote, agrees that he would be used to further a political agenda. a florida high school

teacher faces possible dismissal for allegedly putting a dog neck cone jokingly called the cone of shame on disruptive students. school officials learned about the practice when photos surfaced on facebook last month. and now for a look at what is trending today our quick roundup of what has you talking online. the provocative new "time" magazine cover is topping searches on yahoo and google. it features a california mom breast-feeding her 3-year-old son to promote a story on attachment parenting. the picture has inspired a serious breast-feeding debate on twitter, along with raunchy jokes. the cover mom and her son are here live in our studio and we'll have that segment coming up shortly. the talented youtube artist noah has finally struck gold with his soulful version of lmfao's i'm sexy and i know it. ♪ i ain't afraid to show it show it show it ♪ ♪ i'm sexy and i know it ♪ i'm sexy and i know it

>> noah's rendition racked up more than 320,000 hits in just two days, and mind you, the original has more than 230 million views. i like that version. and mabel, this new twitter photo provides our first look at bruce willis snuggling his month old daughter mabel. it was posted by willis' wife emma heming who tweets, being a great dad is in his dna. willis has three grown daughters with ex-wife demi moore. she is a beauty. now you're up to date. let's go outside to al for a check of your weather. >> that is a dad in love. you can tell. so it's pink for breast cancer? these are for mother's day? >> yep. >> that's fantastic. >> we'll be on facebook today, and twitter. louisvilleslugger.com. >> we appreciate that. good, good, good call. let's see what we've got for you as we go to bat for our weather. niagara falls, slowly i turn. step by step.

nbc 2 news, wvrz, 62 degrees. as we show you the afternoon temperatures, we've got nice weather for you, moderate to warm in the southwest. 50s and 60s in the northeast and new england. we've got some 50s in the plains states. gorgeous day in chicago today. new york city going to be nice, breezy, sunny at 72. heavy rain, though, down in texas, southern and eastern texas into louisiana, we're talking anywhere two to four inches of rain. and the coast guard fleet week coming down, what's going on? >> hey, good morning, al. first 57th and durango, colorado, happy mother's day. i love you, mom. fleet week new york dotcom, may 23rd through 30th year in new york city. >> good morning. pleasant weather arriving just in time for the end of the workweek. a cool breeze out of the northwest.

>> and that's your latest weather. >> all right, al, thank you so much. coming up we're going to talk about the raging debate over this "time" magazine cover. we're going to talk to the mom in our studio. last season was the gulf's best tourism season in years. in florida we had more sun tans... in alabama we had more beautiful blooms... in mississippi we had more good times... in louisiana we had more fun on the water. last season we broke all kinds of records down here on the gulf. more people more good times. this year we're out to do even better... and now's a great time to start. the sun's out and the beaches are even more relaxing. you can go deep sea fishing or enjoy our world-class restaurants... our hotels and rentals have special deals

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back now at 8:09 with the controversy over "time" magazine's new cover story on attachment parenting. it shows a young mom breast-feeding her 3-year-old son. we will talk to that mom exclusively in a moment. but first, wnbc's darlene rodriguez has more on this intensive approach to parenting. darlene, good morning to you. >> good morning, savannah. for some women the idea behind attachment parenting might seem overwhelming, carrying a child all day, breast-feeding, in some cases through the toddler years, even giving up space in your bed. it is the new extreme in bringing up baby. parenting has never been easy. but it could be becoming more complicated from sheer numbers. >> jeremiah -- >> reporter: to unusual feeding methods.

how to properly raise a child is much discussed. and hotly debated. >> oh, honey, she's a baby. >> reporter: this morning "time" magazine hits newsstands with more fuel for the fire. an eye-grabbing cover story on the increasingly popular theory of attachment parenting. it is an intensive approach to motherhood built on the bonding foundations of breast-feeding, right up through toddlerhood in some cases. a family bed. wearing your baby. and attending to that baby's every cry. 72-year-old dr. bill seers is the man behind attachment parenting. raised by a single mom, his 1992 "the baby book" put a heavy emphasis on a mother devoting extraordinary time and energy to her baby. for some, it raises a red flag. >> when you give a child the feeling that the whole world revolves around them, it's not good training for the real world.

because, the whole world dsn't revolve around anybody. >> reporter: the "time" cover is generating one of the biggest responses ever on today.com. in a poll we asked what you think of the breast-feeding cover photo. more than 122,000 of you responded. with 27% saying it's great. and 73% saying, i don't really want to see that. savannah? >> all right, darlene rodriguez, thanks so much. jamie grumet and her 3-year-old son are featured on the "time" magazine cover. they're here along with dr. bill seers and "time's" science editor who wrote this article. good morning to all of you. jamie, you knew that this was going to cause a stir. did you know it was going to cause as much of a stir? >> no. i doesn't think any of us were expecting it. >> but you wanted to make a point. and what point was that? >> the point -- yes, we knew exactly what we were going to get into. i felt like our family was basically one of the better ones to handle this because my mom's -- yeah, buddy?

you want to go see daddy? >> he can walk over. you're saying you yourself were breast-fed until you were 6. >> yes. >> attachment parenting is not just about breast-feeding. it's also about letting the child sleep in your bed. basically, being with the child constantly. is that what your life is like? >> it is. and i mean i don't feel like that takes away from my own personal life. my relationship with my husband is very, very important to me. and i think that it gives my children a strong bond, too. so i think a lot of people say, you know, you can't really be, you know, intimate with your husband if you're cosleeping and that's just -- i mean those are kind of myths, too. >> dr. seers, let me turn to you, you more or less wrote the book on atchment parenting. you said you should never just let a baby cry it out. you should wear your baby in a sling all the time. >> actually, if you came in to my office as a new parent and said dr. bill i want a parenting pill that's going to turn out a

happy, healthy, well-connected, super baby, just a connected baby, who gives you eye contact. i've never yet seen an attachment parented baby who's become a school bully. and i'd say practice attachment parenting. and those baby "b"'s, breast-feeding, baby wearing, beware of baby trainers that will try it out crowd and balance, something good for mom and baby. >> but dr. sears i know you know what your critics say, which is that this takes a good thing, mother and child bonding, and takes it to the extreme. and in some cases my undermine child vefl esteem. >> that's why we put balance. it's not extreme. if you were on an island and you had no mother-in-law, no psychologists, no doctors around, no experts, this is what you would naturally and intingively do to give your baby the best investment you'll ever get. >> let me turn to you. this article touches on every hot button issue of parenting.

and i think a lot of moms might come away with the thought, boy, if i can't do this, if i have to work outside the home, am i somehow harming my child? >> exactly. and just one correction, the piece was written by kate piccard, one of our most inexhaustible writers and one of the points that she makes in the story is that children and parents are unique to themselves. and as dr. sears says, and quotes him saying, do the best with what you have. if you can't be the perfect attachment parent, if you work outside the home, then when you're home, this is your time to invest. so how best can you practice the closest possible bonding, the greatest possible nurturing with your child? and still an serve the general tenets of attachment parents. >> jamie, let's go back to the cover -- >> -- >> talk about the cover because it has made such a splash. and you said you knew what you were getting into. >> i did. i did. and i understand some of the breast-feeding advocates are

actually upset about this. >> are they, why? >> because i feel like they don't show the nurturing side to attachment parenting. which is, you know, more -- this isn't how we breast-feed at home. you know, it's more of a cradling, nurturing situation, and i understand what they're saying. but i do understand why "time" chose this picture, you know, because it's going to be such a, you know, it did create such a media craze, to get the dialogue. >> you have another child who is 5. how long do you plan to breast-feed aaron who is almost 4 now? >> well, we're going to do weaning but i'm personally i'm hoping our fourth year, just for me, is probably going to be our final. he's self-weaning right now. and you know, it's a big commitment and it's not, you know, it's not right for everybody and i think that that's the big thing is you need to do what's best for your baby. and for your own family. so, if this, you know, you can take some of dr. sears attachment parenting

philosophies, and you know, others, it's okay you're not a bad parent. your child will still be okay. >> thank you for sharing your experience, jamie. aaron you're done here. you get to leave now. thanks to all of you. appreciate it. and coming up next, a special mother's day surprise for the indiana mom who lost her legs shielding her children from a tornado. coming up right after this. [ glass clinks ] [ mom ] i'll take this. it's mother's day. a day to thank me for all of the little things. like being the only one who knows how to turn on the dishwasher. not saying "i love you" in front of all your friends. and always finding everything for everyone. happy mother's day, family. you love me! you really are the best. i can't argue with you. now join me while i eat cake and receive gifts. [ male announcer ] celebrate mom. buy any kfc 10 pc meal or larger and get a free double chocolate chip cake. cause we want to show them something new. you ready? let's go. walmart can now convert your favorite dvds

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my kids are my heroes. you know, i wouldn't be here without them. >> reporter: march 2nd, henryville, indiana, a massive tornado ripped through town. for stephanie decker, it was do or die, debris flying, stephanie rushed 8-year-old dominic and 5-year-old reese to their basement, wrapping her children in a blanket, she jumped on top of them, as the tornado delivered its direct hit. all their belongings, furniture, clothes, family photos, even stephanie's wedding ring, destroyed. >> go, go, go! >> reporter: miraculously her children survived without a scratch. >> you know, momma bear out there, and they're vicious, you know, they're going to do what they have to do. i honestly feel like it is just me protecting them. >> reporter: while protecting her children, falling house beams smashed stephanie's legs forcing doctors to amputate.

>> i've got a shot at life. and i won't blow that. you know. i want that. i'm going to make the best of it, whether i have legs or not. you know. that's not important to me. >> reporter: doctors said it would be a year before she would walk. but two weeks ago, stephanie took her first steps on her new prosthetic legs with her husband joe by her side. for her courage, stephanie received a handwritten note and phone call from president obama. >> i want you to really know how proud we were of you and inspired by you. >> reporter: with thousands showing their support, and we wanted to honor her, as well. >> welcome you to new york. >> oh, they're beautiful. >> that's the new world trade center across the hudson river. >> reporter: the deckers are self-proclaimed yankee fans, so the team invited them to be their guests. >> what do you say?

>> reporter: and for mother's day to make sure stephanie is treated like a queen we arranged fashion stylist to organize full family makeovers. >> whoo! >> and a photo shoot with world famous photographer nigel barker. just a few steps towards rebuilding what was lost. >> it's a new chapter for us. i think we've ended one chapter of our lives and we've lost a lot of things but we've gained so much. i think that these new memories will be just as precious as the old memories that we lost. it means a lot, all of you for what all of you have done. thank you. >> and now joining us live outside here on our plaza stephanie decker along with her husband joe and their children dominique and reese. good morning, everybody. >> good morning. >> i want you to know, this is normally not out here, these flowers. these are just for you. i know it's a little cold

outside. but let me ask you, how is your recovery going stephanie? >> the recovery's going remarkably well. fast. as you saw i'm already up on one leg. we're going to continue to push forward and get up on two. >> you know, i saw you watching that story. you had fears of sadness, but also tears of joy. >> oh, absolutely mainly tears of joy. you know, it has been a long journey. but it's been a good one along the way. you're going to have ups and downs, but this has been a great, a great new chapter for us. >> after all of you -- all you've been through, all you went through to save your kids, does this mother's day coming up this sunday have special meaning to you. >> it makes it a little extra special. you know, i always tell people, we didn't ever take our kids for granted but we hold them a little closer and a little tighter right now. you just never know when the -- when something's going to happen and change and you don't have them anymore. so it's extra special to have them this mother's day. >> dominique, you know, when you hear your mom talk about how much she loves you, you know

how -- what do you want to say to her? >> i'm just so proud of her. >> you're proud of her? wow, it must be nice to have a child as young as dominic saying that. and how about you, reese, what do you want to say about your mom? >> i like that she took care of us, and she's -- she loved us, and i love her, too. >> beautiful. stephanie, what do you want to say to your wife? >> well, everybody we've met has been so great to us, and everyone she's touched has called her an inspiration, and a hero. but, she's my hero for saving our kids. and i love her greatly, and one of the things she lost was her wedding ring, so, last night kind of quietly at the yankees game, i got her wedding ring

back. took awhile to come up with it, but we got her the wedding ring back, and i just wanted her to know that this is a special mother's day for all of us, and i'm just glad she's here and okay. >> that is beautiful. and i got to tell you, that's a whopper. that's not a wedding ring, that's a weapon. >> well, i think she earned it. i think she earned it. >> you know what, you lose something like that, maybe it's a good thing to get a bigger one. >> absolutely. it's great. >> so your message then to mothers now listening, because it's a very big day coming up for mothers who go through so much to raise their children every day, and to see you and what you've gone through, to hear your kids say the greatness about you, what's your message to women out who are listening this morning? >> just take care of your children. and most mothers out there protect them just as i would. no differently. and take care of them, love them, because they -- they're either gone in an instant or they grow up quickly. >> that's true. stephanie decker, joe, dominic,

reese, thank you so much for being here. thank you so much for telling us your story. >> thank you. >> great pleasure. and we're back with much more here on a friday morning. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get a final check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> dealing with a new accident on the j.f.x. it does involve an overturned vehicle. they have it on a flat bed now. it is creating a delay just prior to northern parkway. only the two left lanes are getting by. in towson, putty hill and goucher boulevard, we have an accident. west side delays in place, and westbound 100, watch for delays due to an accident coming in there. defense highway and west street, watch out for a crash

still in the clearing stages. we will update you on the j.f.x. at northern parkway. coming towards us is southbound traffic. you can see the two right lanes, at least the right lane and the right shoulder, taken out of it two left lanes squeezing by. live view of traffic in the area of harford road. outer loop traffic, delays in place for its dulaney valley. john come over to you. >> sun is out, and as we look at the radar, we have to extend our view for the west. big storms off the texas coast and southwestern louisiana. we are in good shape. 54 and sunday. 53% humidity. west winds at 10 miles an hour. sunny skies and the forecast. six and a 74 for the high.

late sunday and monday, rain chances increase. >> thank you for joining us. another update in 25 minutes.

8:30 now on this friday morning. 11th of may, 2012. we have a large crowd here in rockefeller plaza. we actually expect a bigger one one week from now when r and b superstar kicks off our summer concert series. if you're in the area, get here early. it's really exciting that our summer concert is so close. we've got great music coming up in this half hour as well. >> absolutely, american has spoken and chosen jermaine paul

as the winner of "the voice." a former backup singer. he will perform live for us coming up. >> that's right. and how to train your dragon, that great animated film, they're going to have a remarkable new live show that's based on the popular movie. coming up, we're going to take you behind the scenes of the state-of-the-art production. >> that looks amazing. look at that. and then a little bit later on we're going to meet a toddler who can teach us all a thing or two. she really is in science. her name is emily, and she just became the youngest u.s. member of mensa, the prestigious high iq society. she has an iq of 135. >> oh, my goodness. >> really? >> that's amazing. >> hi, everybody. >> very big news coming up next week on "today," to go along with the start of our summer concert series because on monday we're going to catch up with ted williams. remember him. he was one homeless man with a golden voice who became an overnight sensation. we're going to find out what

he's up to now when he joins us live and also on thursday and friday on "today," we're going to be reporting live from cannes about a lot of the big movies coming up. a lot of big stars including the cast of madagascar. >> that's a good assignment. >> ann in cannes. >> i am actually the one to get to go. lucky me. >> take us with you. >> come on. if it was my choice you'd come. >> all right. >> let's say hello now to andrew garfield, the star of "death of a salesman" on broadway. >> hi. >> nice to have you here. >> thank you for having me. >> this is your broadway debut. you've already earned a tony nomination. not too shabby. >> i try not to think about it so much. but yeah, no, i feel very lucky and you know proud to be a part of such an incredible play and incredible cast and working with one of the greatest living directors. i feel very, very lucky. >> in fact, you earn something

like seven tony nominations for this production. >> pretty good. >> but it's been 53 years since this play actually was -- won a pulitzer prize. >> yeah. >> and, and to get this role, which is just so demanding, you know, and, and to get a tony nomination, i mean it's a huge deal i mean you must be deeply touched by it. >> it's like everyone likes a part in the back. everyone needs like, you know, you're doing a good job and keep going and -- >> all of us -- >> a little lower. a little lower. >> so you know, it's like in that respect it's like, well of course, a very visible pat on the back is very nice to receive. yes. >> and you're tackling a huge role coming up soon spider-man. >> yeah. >> this movie is going to be released this summer. are you concerned at all? this has been done before. how is it different than the other? >> oh, i mean like it's different, it has to be otherwise why do it?

but, we all want to make sure that we kept the kind of symbol alive, and in a way that the fans will be happy and proud of. i hope we've made an entertaining movie. it's again a really fantastic cast, emma stone and martin sheen and sally field. >> we get to meet speidi's parents. >> you might. >> regularly -- >> i read. >> what else can you tell us? >> i can't tell you anything. >> so you were a fan of spider-man? >> oh, yeah. >> that's got to be cool, too. >> it's unreal. >> congratulations. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> going very well. >> everything's fine. yes. everything's fine. >> andrew garfield starring in "death of a salesman." >> meantime a check of the weather with al. >> for your mother's day weekend, tomorrow, a lot of rain in the mid he willer mississippi river valley, the western third of the country going to be fantastic. got some showers around the great lakes. sunny and warm mid-atlantic

states then mother's day sunday sunday mild through the northern tier of states. sizzling out west. but the rain makes its way up into the 34id and ohio river valleys. mississippi river valley, as well. >> good morning. a chilly start to the day. we have full sunshine. low to mid 70's from central maryland to southern maryl >> that's your latest weather. check it out on the weather channel or weather.com. www -- you know where to get it. >> coming up next, we're going

to tell you about a new live production basted on the hit movie "how to tame a dragon." we'll show you a sneak peek.

back now at 8:38 with an exciting new live arena show based on the popular animated movie "trou to train your dra n dragon." it's coming to the united states next month and we got a behind-the-scenes sneak peek at the fiery production. they're ferocious and feisty. fire-breathing. and high-flying. they're the stars of dreamworks "how to train your dragon live spectacular," a new arena show featuring 23 life-like and life-size dragons that move and interact with the cast of vikings, acrobats, and martial arts performers.

adapted from the popular dreamworks animated film "how to train your dragon" about a viking teenager who befriends a young dragon. >> we were looking for other ways of being able to take our movies and actually have them live outside of movie theaters. a couple of us had an opportunity to see this amazing show called "walking with dinosaurs." it seemed like just a amazing opportunity to take the story of our movie, and actually be able to bring it to life in a live show in a way that people have never seen before. >> reporter: the show is four years in the making. and with a cast and crew of 85, it boasts the largest number of animatronics ever to tour the globe. the production is so large, it takes more than 30 18-wheeler trucks to move it and more than 160 people to set up the production in each city. the live spectacular uses state-of-the-art wall-to-floor

pro-section to transport the audience to dizzying heights on an epic journey. >> dragons like dinosaurs on steroids. since we made the dinosaurs our technology has adapted vastly, much more dynamic and can communicate with a voice onstage. >> i can play with him like he's a real pet. not like a machine. like he's really there in front of me. my pet dragon. it's awesome. >> reporter: the show's hero weigh morse than 7500 pounds and flies more than 1.2 miles throughout the performance. each large dragon weighs more than 2 1/2 tons, and features blinking eyes, a moving mouth, hand-painted skin, and a wingspan of up to 46 feet. >> they've been created over two years, and you know, when you start the design in 3-d and on computers and find the coloring. >> reporter: some dragons require up to three people to operate them. >> there's a team up in the bleachers who are controlling the creature. all kind of remotely.

they have a thing called a voodoo arm so if they turn their wrist like that, that 3406s the head, that moves the body. so that it's not like a computer program. it's a performer up there, a puppeteer, who's, you know, playing. >> reporter: after premiering in australia, the production moves on to new zealand, where audience members of all ages immerse themselves in the world of dragons and vikings. >> i've never something like this before. >> they look really real. and i like the spikes. >> you actually feel like you're there. >> we wanted to do something the world has never seen before and feel they're pulling it off. >> the multicity tour kicks off on june 27th. and the tickets go on sale today. well just ahead we're going to meet the toddler with an iq of 135 who just became the youngest u.s. member of mensa. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

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back now at 8:43. you know it's one thing to be a natural athlete born to play a sport with the size, speed and skills to be a star. but desire, practice and hard work can make someone a winner, too. game changers is a new book from west-selling author mike lupica. it will inspire and entertain young athletes. mike, good morning. it's good to see you. >> good morning, safin nap >> so this new book is for middle schoolers, sixth graders, i know you had an inspiration when you wrote the main character doug flutie. you could have picked any athlete. you covered sports a long time. why is he an inspiration? >> he's my favorite athlete for a lot of reasons as a boston college man. but he was never supposed to be a great college quarterback. he certainly wasn't supposed to win the heisman trophy. he certainly wasn't supposed to go on to play 20 years in the pros. as i go around the country and talk about these books, kids always say, does size matter in sports? i say yeah, the size of your talent and the size of your heart. this book is in that spirit.

ben mcbain can't get anybody to see past his size and realizes he's a great quarterback of his team. >> and ben mcbain is the protagonist of this story. he badly wants to be a quarterback but there is another quarterback, a boy named shawn whose dad is the coach. >> and i have coached all my kids and i know what it a struggle it is to coach your kids in sports. i have three sons and a 13-year-old daughter. she's on her way of her ultimate goal of world domination. but they're always looking to you to see if you're going to give your kid a break. and i think this coach is trying to do the best thing but he was a pro quarterback and all he's ever wanted is a son who is a quarterback. except he's bigger, stronger, faster, but is not as good a quarterback as ben mcbain. >> and you don't write the stereo typical coach who puts a ton of pressure on the kids. >> no. >> because i guess you recognize the complications of doing -- having those roles and the desire parents have for their kids. >> he's not a pushy parent. he's not that stereo typical little league coach who is yelling all the time.

but he wants it so bad that he makes the mistake that youth coaches make. it's not about them. it's about the kids. >> i know this is going to be the first in a series with these characters, the core four and there's more to that, i know. are you basically writing the books that you love to read when you were a kid? >> my -- the books that i read as a kid would go from season to season and these characters would become your friends. so scholastic came to me, you know, the harry potter publisher, said can you give me somebody who can't fly. so i'm writing about the same kids that i'm always writing about. regular kids trying to do something great in sports, and they care about the things that i cared about. loyalty, friendship, teamwork. those are the things that resonate with my readers, especially my reluctant readers who come to these books, and fall in love with reading. >> you're a renaissance man, you cover sports, you cover politics. got to ask you about a couple of sports stories in the news. the death of junior seau. an nfl player who killed himself, i mean, does this point

to something larger, do you think, that's going on? >> savannah, listen, it's three suicides of ex-players in a year. to me that's an epidemic. do we know exactly what brought him to this terrible moment? we don't. but there's been so much study now that brain injuries cause depression, and this time it's a 43-year-old star, who kills himself. a friend of mine says the other day, there's one thing that could kill the golden goose in professional football. it's this. it's -- and they're aggressively attacking brain injuries but i thinke're just finding out how dangerous they are. >> well, we're out of time. mike lupica, this book you've written i hope will inspire young athletes, the best of sports we can see. the book is called "game changers." up next a live performness from the winner of "the voice."

the "toyota concert series on today," brought to you by toyota. >> back now at 8:49 with the winner of the season two of nbc's hit show "the voice" and former backup singer jermaine paul from team blake was crowned the champion on tuesday night, he takes home the $100,000 prize and a record deal with universal. jermaine, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> nobody in front of you. you're not the backup singer today. >> yeah. >> on the "today" show. >> it feels amazing. so many interviews, and you

know, media outlets, just saying thank you to all of america for voting me here and making me the winner. i feel so honored, and filled with gratitude. >> it's not just your dream. >> yeah. >> i was just talking to your wife melissa who is just off camera over here. you've been married together for 13 years. she says this was a family dream. is that right? >> that's right. >> to see him now standing here on the "today" show about to perform. your thoughts? >> i'm speechless. >> but i won't ask you any more questions. but you know, you're dedicating the -- the journey song you're about to sing. >> yes. >> to your wife. >> yes, ma'am. you know, what happened when i -- when i was younger, you know, of course i just wanted to sing but eventually what happened, you know, you want your kids to sing along with you. so you know, what you sing about starts to define itself, and starts to change, and almost evolve and you know, into a certain song. so, what greater song to sing than songs like that. >> yeah. and i understand your four kids are watching? >> yeah, they're watching right

now. christopher, jeremiah, aurilia and savannah. they're all back to back. >> all right. well let's let them all listen. melissa, thank you for being here. singing "open arms" here's "the voice's" jermaine paul. ♪ ♪ lying beside you here in the dark ♪ ♪ feeling your heartbeat with mine ♪ ♪ softly you whisper you're so sincere ♪

♪ how could our love be so blind ♪ we sailed on together we drifted apart ♪ ♪ and still you're right by my side ♪ ♪ so now i'll come to you with open arms ♪ ♪ nothing to hide believe what i say ♪ ♪ so here i am with open arms ♪ ♪ hoping you'll see what your love means to me open arms ♪

♪ open arms ♪ living without you living alone ♪ ♪ this empty house seems so cold ♪ ♪ wanting to hold you wanting you near ♪ ♪ how much i want you home ♪ ♪ now that you've come back and turned night into day ♪ ♪ i, i need you to stay so now i'll come to you with open arms ♪ ♪ nothing to hide

believe what i say ♪ ♪ so here i am with open arms ♪ ♪ hoping to see open arms ♪ ♪ open arms ♪ open open arms >> you know what, jermaine? thank you so much for being here. i think this one wants to give you a hug. i'm telling you. we felt that as well as heard it. jermaine paul congratulations. boy do you deserve it. >> thank you so much. >> we're back right after your local news.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. baltimore county police are looking for two suspects in connection with at least two kidnappings and robberies. the latest happened on saturday when the victim says he was approached by two men on pennsylvania avenue and york road in towson.

they reportedly told the men at knifepoint and took his money

>> sun is out this morning and will be that way all day long. sunny skies, all breeze. occasional gusts stronger than that. i stay. -- nice